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Fentanyl Addiction

Fentanyl is a prescription opioid painkiller that is chemically related to other addictive prescription painkillers, like hydrocodone and methadone. In a hospital setting, this narcotic is used to rapidly treat severe pain in people who are tolerant to other opioids. Fentanyl is so potent that doctors often reserve it for patients who have terminal cancer.

Though this drug has medical uses, a euphoric fentanyl high can occur if a person takes too much of it. Thus, it is no surprise that fentanyl has been sold illicitly for decades. Today, fentanyl is often substituted for heroin — and it is just as dangerous as the notorious street drug.

The fast-acting opioid painkiller fentanyl is a synthetic opioid prescribed to relieve chronic pain related to terminal cancer and severe non-cancer pains. Available as a transdermal patch and in oral and injectable formulations, fentanyl is easy to use. But this ultra-strong drug is as addictive as it is analgesic. In 2015, 9,580 Americans died from drug overdoses involving fentanyl. Though most of those people resided in the Northeast United States, fentanyl deaths have been reported all across the country.

Fentanyl is a narcotic painkiller that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and up to 100 times stronger than morphine. Due to the drug’s potency and addictive qualities, doctors reserve fentanyl prescriptions for the most severe situations. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies fentanyl as a Schedule II controlled substance, which means that it “has a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.” It is considered a dangerous drug, alongside other Schedule II substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, Vicodin, Adderall, OxyContin, and others. A fentanyl high mimics that of most other painkillers, rendering the user euphoric and numb — both mentally and physically.

Fentanyl was first introduced to the U.S. in the 1960s as an injectable anesthetic branded as Sublimaze. By the early ‘90s, the patch was available for transdermal use. However, the drug did not become widely known in mainstream culture for over two more decades.

When music superstar Prince died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016, the drug was still relatively unknown among Americans. Meanwhile, fentanyl abuse had quietly been growing more common in the years prior to Prince’s death, spiking between 2014 and 2015. During this time, the death rate of non-methadone synthetic opioids like fentanyl increased by over 70%.

Most often, doctor administer this drug as a fentanyl patch (which adheres to the skin), a lozenge known as a “fentanyl lollipop,” or an injection. However, illicit forms of the drug are not as distinctive.

On the streets, fentanyl and its illicit variations may appear as a powder, which can be melted into a liquid and administered like a heroin injection. In recent years, Hollywood stars have taken to using the lollipops — perhaps because the candies appear so normal and benign.

Non-pharmaceutical versions of fentanyl exist on the market, complete with slang terms. Common adulterations involve the addition of heroin or cocaine to fentanyl. Illicit fentanyl is often found as a powder or attached to blotter paper. Here are some common street names for fentanyl or fentanyl-laced heroin:

Seeking addiction treatment can feel overwhelming. We know the struggle, which is why we're uniquely qualified to help.

Your call is confidential, and there's no pressure to commit to treatment until you're ready. As a voluntary facility, we're here to help you heal -- on your terms. Our sole focus is getting you back to the healthy, sober life you deserve, and we are ready and waiting to answer your questions or concerns 24/7.

The drug is reserved for patients have built up a tolerance to opioids but still require substantial pain alleviation. Most often, doctors administer this drug as a fentanyl patch stuck to the skin, a lozenge known as a “fentanyl lollipop,” or an injection. However, fentanyl abuse occurs when you use the drug for any reason other than doctor-ordered pain relief. If you try to stop using fentanyl and find that you cannot (despite negative consequences in your life), it is likely you’ve developed a fentanyl addiction.

Fentanyl dosage is a delicate matter — the drug can be lethal at doses as small as 0.25 mg. Dosage varies based on the patient’s biological factors and the severity of their illness or injury. Patients receive between 25–100 mcg per hr. Even proper pharmacological use of fentanyl produces the following effects:

Like other opioids, fentanyl is highly addictive. Since fentanyl — like heroin — impacts the brain’s reward centers, it’s hard to stop using this drug once you have started. (Fortunately, this also means that substance abuse treatment methods used to treat heroin addiction — such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — can also be used to treat fentanyl addiction.)

Fentanyl is most addictive when it is crushed then snorted or injected, and when it is combined with other drugs — including alcohol. However, even with medical supervision, addiction and dependency can develop.

It does not take long to get addicted to fentanyl. For some people, mental addiction can begin upon their first use of the drug. Due to fentanyl’s potency, physical dependency and addiction can occur after a person has used the drug just a couple of times. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies fentanyl as a Schedule II controlled substance. Drugs within this classification have a high potential for abuse and can cause severe addiction. Alongside fentanyl, Schedule II narcotics include some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs — Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, morphine, codeine, and others.

Fentanyl entered the U.S. medical market in the 1960s. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 labeled fentanyl a Schedule II drug, due to its addictive qualities. As the ‘70s progressed, illicit versions of fentanyl began showing up on the market.

Fentanyl works by attaching to opioid receptors on nerves in the brain, spinal cord, and other organs. This is the exact mechanism by which heroin acts on the human body, though fentanyl is up to 100 times more potent. Common but mild fentanyl side effects include:

Drowsiness

Nausea

Constipation

Less frequent but more serious side effects of fentanyl include:

Extreme drowsiness

Unusually fast or slow heartbeat

Seizures

Hives, rash, and itching

Decreased urge to breathe

Difficulty breathing

Confusion

Fainting

Dependency

Withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation of the drug

Long-term fentanyl abuse can result in grave consequences. Many people who abuse fentanyl lose their jobs, families, homes, and marriages due to their disease. Addiction, among the most devastating long-term effects of fentanyl abuse, is a lifelong disease for which there is no cure. However, the disease is manageable with professional treatment.

According to the DEA, more than 12 illicit analogs of fentanyl have been found and identified by U.S. drug traffic teams. Most commonly, fentanyl is mixed with heroin and called “magic” or “bomb” on the street. It is also mixed with cocaine or methamphetamine to produce more energetic highs. Usually, people who abuse fentanyl crush pills into a fine powder and either inject or snort the drug. This increases the risk for life-threatening problems, including coma, respiratory arrest, and overdosing on painkillers.

Just a few tiny granules of fentanyl can result in overdose, making it difficult to decipher between the amount that will induce a high and the amount that will result in overdose. Fentanyl deaths often occur when a person unknowingly purchases fentanyl on the street when they believe they are buying a different opioid, like heroin. People have died within minutes after unwittingly ingesting, injecting, or inhaling too much fentanyl. Signs of a fentanyl overdose may include:

Fentanyl and other opioids account for the greatest proportion of 21st-century prescription drug addictions in the U.S. Prescription opioid deaths skyrocketed at the turn of the century, and within two years, opioid overdose caused more deaths than cocaine and heroin addiction. Fentanyl deaths skyrocketed between 2014–2015. From January 24 to February 4, 2014, in the Pittsburgh, PA, region alone, 17 deaths were linked to fentanyl-laced heroin. Matters only worsened from there. In early 2016, statistics showed that 9,580 Americans had died the previous year due to fentanyl abuse.

Addiction Stories:

For several years, Hollywood insiders have reported that fentanyl lollipops are sometimes freely available at posh parties in Los Angeles. In 2016, pop superstar Prince died at age 57 from a fentanyl overdose. Throughout the years leading up to his death, Prince had been spotted sucking on lollipops in public — some speculate that the candies contained fentanyl. Celebrities are not the only ones to use fentanyl to get high. When Ontario, Canada resident Michael Morton was a teenager, he stole some fentanyl patches from the pharmacy where he worked.

From the first time he used them, he was hooked. He told Maclean’s, “I fell back in my seat and I fell in love. It was the best high I ever had.” He quickly developed an addiction — within a year, he was abusing fentanyl multiple times per day. But when four of his friends died from overdoses, he sought professional addiction treatment. Today, he receives regular methadone treatment to help manage his disease. Treatment saved Michael’s life. If you are suffering from fentanyl addiction, treatment can help you too. Take the first step towards life after addiction by getting in touch with The Recovery Village.

Gatehouse, Jonathon, and Nancy Macdonald. “Fentanyl: The King of All Opiates, and a Killer Drug Crisis.” Macleans, 22 June 2015, www.macleans.ca/society/health/fentanyl-the-king-of-all-opiates-and-a-killer-drug-crisis/.

Seeking addiction treatment can feel overwhelming. We know the struggle, which is why we're uniquely qualified to help.

Your call is confidential, and there's no pressure to commit to treatment until you're ready. As a voluntary facility, we're here to help you heal -- on your terms. Our sole focus is getting you back to the healthy, sober life you deserve, and we are ready and waiting to answer your questions or concerns 24/7.